Exotic Waterfowl at Lake Mirror Draw Attention

The swans of Lake Morton have some gaudy competition in attracting eyeballs. Four recent arrivals at Lake Mirror have local residents quacking and camera shutters clicking.

By GARY WHITETHE LEDGER

LAKELAND | The swans of Lake Morton have some gaudy competition in attracting eyeballs. Four recent arrivals at Lake Mirror have local residents quacking and camera shutters clicking.The city of Lakeland introduced two pairs of Mandarin ducks at the downtown lake in December, injecting a jolt of color to rival the raucous hues of the Albert Paley sculpture on Lake Mirror's eastern rim."They sure are beautiful," said Janet Grant of Lakeland, one of many amateur photographers who have visited Lake Mirror specifically to get pictures of the Mandarin ducks. "They're so different from what we see here in nature."As the name suggests, Mandarin ducks are native to Asia. The species is related to the North American wood duck, an equally colorful species that occurs naturally in Florida.As with other bird species, it's the drake, or male duck, that has the ostentatious plumage. It has a plum-colored forehead, an almost copper crown and gold-brown feathers resembling whiskers extending from the cheeks.Other accents include a purple upper chest, a finely mottled, buff-colored flank and strips of cobalt blue along the back. The chestnut-hued central wings are called "sails" for the way the drake sometimes raises them while swimming. The crested head, short bill and solid, dark eyes give the drake an almost impish look.Female Mandarin ducks are much more plain, their plumage predominantly ochre and white.Stacy Smith, park foreman for the city-owned Hollis Garden, first raised the idea of obtaining Mandarin ducks, Lakeland spokesman Kevin Cook said. The city paid about $250 per pair to a Chicago dealer who had previously been a source for swans, the trademark exotic waterfowl that occupy Lake Morton and other lakes, Cook said.The birds are banded and have clipped wings to keep them from leaving Lake Mirror, Cook said. The ducks eat plants, seeds, insects and small fish and feed while dabbling in water or walking on land. They don't require feeding stations as the swans do.Mandarin ducks, like other perching ducks, normally nest in tree cavities, and the city installed two nesting boxes on the lake."We know they have produced offspring in the past, and we fully expect them to produce offspring," Cook said.Mandarins typically lay nine to 12 eggs each year, according to the Philadelphia Zoo, which has the birds on display. The ducks can live more than 10 years, the zoo's website says.Grant said word quickly spread among local nature photographers after the ducks showed up in December."It's almost like going to a zoo to see something really different and unique," she said. "That's the draw. The feathers are just gorgeous."Grant said she has alerted others walking around the lake to the ducks' presence. She said the birds have never failed to generate excitement.Cook said the decision to acquire the Mandarin ducks wasn't primarily intended to stimulate tourism, but he already has heard talk of a birding group traveling from Pinellas County to see the ducks.This is not the first time Lakeland has introduced exotic waterfowl on Lake Mirror. Four years ago, the city released a dozen Indian runner ducks, distinguished by their tendency to stand erect like penguins.The next few months will offer the best chance to see the Mandarin drakes in full color. The males lose their striking plumage in the summer before regaining color in the fall.Though recipes for "Mandarin duck" are plentiful, that name refers to Mandarin orange peels used for glaze or stuffing. Mandarin ducks are one of few duck species not hunted for food, according to BBC Nature.Cook said he hopes residents will treat Lakeland's newest winged denizens with the same reverence the swans command.

[ Gary White can be reached at gary.white@theledger.com or 863-802-7518. ]